Not sure why it took me four days to post review and commentary on this memorable show. Perhaps writers block or simple tape delay.

It was a pleasure to see 3 FOR ALL in action again. Connecting with the Bay Area improvisation community now reminds me of my early days as a Bay Area visitor and resident. I would often catch a show of the week or other event at BATS Improv with my “original” friend from the Bay Area, the friend who introduced me to many things that are now regular parts of my life. However, that friend has since moved to the Los Angeles area, and I’ve moved on to different focuses in life here, so improv has a certain nostalgia. There is also an undeniable “aww…” yearning feel to it as well. I have always wanted to take one of BATS Improv’s training courses, but, sadly, have yet to find the time and money to officially enroll. I know it is all a matter of perspective and probably could work if I rearranged some things… but it hasn’t happened at this point in time.

3 FOR ALL is a long established improv trio that has been performing since 1996. Rafe Chase and Tim Orr are based in the Bay Area, while Stephen Hearin splits his time between here and Los Angeles.

At the Throckmorton, 3 FOR ALL did not disappoint. It’s interesting that I find it difficult to remember specifics about improv shows, and yet I know that many performers will review their actions and character choices very carefully following their performance. I do know that the 3 FOR ALL trio projects an enviable level of ease and naturalism in their work together and larger stage presence. It was impressive to see how they can continue a storyline that may seem to have nowhere to go. On the other hand, the ensemble, and their lighting designer, will often know when to choose to close a scene.

The creative storytelling was clearly visible in their second act “feature length” scene/skit, Blood on a Pillow – so named by audience voting. We were introduced to a couple (Rafe & Tim) with the wife (Rafe) facing a fatal “nephritis” illness. (The actors used this to indicate nose inflammation; I see upon Googling it that is has a more serious and real life connotation.) Anyway, in the story, the wife wished to adopt a child from the local adoption agency. To complicate matters, the third ensemble member (Stephen) played a dual role of the husband’s old flame and the adoption coordinator, and the adoptee “wild child” who went home with the couple. Complications continued to unravel until the story found an unexpectedly poignant resolution.

The audience in Mill Valley clearly loved what 3 FOR ALL had to offer in this performance, with wide and hearty applause after every act. I certainly appreciated the reminder of improvisation’s value in everyday life. I know it doesn’t have to be (and should not be) just about the laugh – it’s about how it fits into LIFE.

I fulfilled a long-held aspiration tonight, to attend a reading at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, where they have a monthly theatrical reading from their Playwright’s Lab group. The event description is here from tonight. It seems silly that I had not been to an earlier reading. Tonight’s incarnation was particularly appealing where it was written by a past “boss”/work supervisor and featured several theatrical friends. Many theatrical friends/acquaintances from this area were in the audience.

Milagro (Show #16) took a multi-layered look at contemporary relationships in an offbeat setting. I enjoyed the staged reading format, where the setting and surroundings were left up to my imagination. The story centered around three couples (two gay – of opposite genders, and one straight) and how they all converged at a rustic resort in Mexico. It seemed that the play was rooted in the contemporary Bay Area, with plot threads about HIV testing, multiculturalism, and cross country relationships. The convergence was effectively drawn together in the second act after dropping hints about it in the first act. I also appreciated how one character’s motives were turned on their head following a surprise switch-revelation in the middle of the first act. I enjoyed seeing local actor Dan Hoyle, who has become well known for his solo work at The Marsh in San Francisco, shine in two contrasting supporting roles – he was not initially advertised as part of the reading cast. My past show colleagues Danielle Thys and Julia McNeal showed a thoughtful chemistry as the lesbian couple. They were capably supported by the other actors, with Marin local Jack Powell holding down a central role as the resort owner.

I did notice how the many story threads seemed to tie back together in a rush, which may be a common problem in a longer narrative. It will be interesting to observe how this play develops in the future, as this was not a finalized version. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay for the post-show talkback, where Brad and the actors welcomed questions or discussion about the piece. I am sure that various advice was likely (hopefully!) noted with an open mind.

I returned to PlayGround again tonight for their season finale of Monday night readings and my 15th show of this year. I’m never disappointed going to see their work and was pleased that tonight’s pacing seemed more leisurely than last month, at least to me. I was genuinely surprised to look at the clock by the end of the show and find that it was the same 90 minute time frame. I’m sure that the length of the performance is actually very carefully planned in advance.

Several local theatre friends were behind the scenes or onstage tonight as actor or director, respectively. My good friends Molly Noble and Ken Sonkin had the two closing plays of the night, and they were definitely among the strongest of the evening. Hard to single out one piece, where they seemed to build on each other. I did feel that the evening’s “Vaudeville” theme was inconsistent, although present in more of a recurring fashion – it seemed that the topic weaved its way in and out of focus in an alternating way through the plays.

Ken’s piece, Can You Tame Wild Wom!n? by Mandy Hodge Rizvi, was an especially canny way to end the evening. Seven women came out onstage and spoofed both the circus and the theatre as the plot unfolded with many subtle twists, turns and elements of physical comedy. Local actress Gwen Loeb, whom I previously saw in a highly memorable 2009 production, worked the audience with a wink in the lead role.

The versatility of local actors is often highly evident in the PlayGround evenings. My friend Cathleen RIddley, whom I first worked with on my first Bay Area production, got to embrace the drama in Brothas Don’t Dance by Philana Omorotionmwan, directed by Molly Noble, a piece that took almost a socio-dramatic look at modern life and physical hardships. Earlier in the evening, local actress Jessica Lynn Carroll seemed to be a totally different person in Mirror to Face by Leah Halper, directed by Katja Rivera, from when I saw her in Boeing Boeing just a few weeks ago.

I could go on, and maybe I will at another time, but for now I will keep it simple: PlayGround is tops!

For my 12th show of this year, I stayed in my backyard to attend the College of Marin’s production of DETECTIVE STORY. I highly enjoy supporting COM’s drama department, and feel like a member of their extended community, where I know several faculty members and current students. This production was unusual in that a higher number of local actors (older) were in the cast than student actors. Not to mention the fact that it’s a HUGE cast of at least 30 people. The director, local legend Jim Dunn, is known for his attention to detail, and likely chose to keep it authentic with the individual portrayals.

On a personal level, I was amused to notice that the play is set on August 9, 1949, exactly one year before my maternal grandparents got married on that same date, and the day that my paternal grandfather turned 30. Part of the fun of attending productions at COM, and its neighbor, the Ross Valley Players, is the “local” nature of the audience members. It’s true that they are mostly on the elder side. This also means that conversations are easily overheard, while being highly articulate and specific.

This play took a socially realistic look at police politics in the New York City of its time. The suitably sprawling plot told several story lines at once. One of the things I most appreciated about the experience was the ability to look in on those different scenes at the same time. The set spread out over COM’s wide mainstage theatre, looking at three different rooms in the police station plus the main doorway into the station. Careful blocking choices ensured that at least one actor always had the center of the audience attention and was ably supported by other performers.

I’m not sure I could explain the whole plot here in this entry. It was apparent how the focus gradually narrowed down to the main character, Detective MacLeod, and the challenges in his life at the moment of the story. The stakes gradually rose, over three acts, to a not entirely surprising but nonetheless well played conclusion.

The story was evocatively told, with minimal music cues that were appropriately noirish when they were there, a light black and white style color palette of costumes, and subtle lighting cues moving around the different segments of the set.

COM truly shows the value of theatre relating to the larger community in their aesthetics. I am impressed by their consistent attention to quality, detail and artistic integrity. At one point, the school claimed that they have the highest transfer rate to Julliard in the nation. I’m not sure if they still do, but their care and excitement still shines in their work.